Furrow damming machine



Jan. 16, 1940.

L. S. BROWN FURRow Dmxvlnu7 MACHINE Filed Feb. 2l, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. BY om 5. SHOW ATTORNEY.

Jan. '16, 1940. l.. s. BRowN 2,187,262

FURRW DAMMING CHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. om 5. ROWN.

` BY MORNEY.

Patered im..` 16, 1940 UNITEDSTATES AP .xrlull'r OFFICE FURRow nmunmim` Loyd S. Brown, Kanorado, Kans. Appucatioarebruary 21, 1939, seriai No. 257,581

" s lclails. (01.*grill- 55p1 p This invention relates to a `furrow damming device.,

It is th'e present custom in the dry land districts of the West to place `earth dams in the dam the furrow at spaced intervals without at-` ll5 tention on the part of the driver.

Other objects and `advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is` designed for simplicity, economy, andefficiency. These will become more apparent from the fol- 20 lowing description. Y

In the'following detailed `description of the invention reference ishad tothe accompanying drawings ,which forni a4 part hereof. Like nu- `mex-als; refer to" like parts in all views of the In the drawingsz i Fig. `1 isa plan view of thedevice, illustrating it attached to a typical listing plow. v

Figf 2 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line,`2-`2, Fig. 1, illustrating the device inthe filling` position. 9 C i A Fig. 3` is a side `View illustrating the device in the dumping or damforming position. s

Fig. `4 is a similar view `illustrating the device 35 asit would appearafter the `dam had been formed." 5 is a cross-sectional View ofjth'e furrow formed by the darn device. i

Fig; 6 is a detail `section through the counter- 4o Weight.

`A typical listing` plow is indicated `at III with i its plow beam at II.

'I'he improved `damming device comprises a pair of `draw bars l2 which extend from an at- 45 tachment bolt I3, by means of I which they may be secured to each side of the plowbeam II. At their rearward extremities, a hinge shaft I4 extends between the bars I 2 and provides a hinge member for a damming blade or shovel I 5.

25 drawings` and throughout the description.`

` I 150 The shovel l5 is free to rotate about the hinge shaft I 4 `and normally extends forwardly therefrom, asshown inFigt`2. The forward edge of the shovel is beveled inwardly from each side to form inclined cutting or scraping edges as 55 shown at I9. T'hese inclined edges terminate at a central notch 20. A pair of lugs 2l are secured at eachside of the reargextremity of the shovel and extend normally upward therefrom i at a forward angle. i

A counterweight arm I6 extends rearwardly 5 from'` the shovel `to support a counterweight I'I. The counterweight can` be adjusted to any positionlalong the counterweight arm I6 and may `be securedin the desired position by means of suitable hook bolts I8. i 10 A curved weeding blade 22 ,is secured to each of the bars I2 by means of suitable bolts 23.

In operation, the device is drawn along the furrow, either as an independent device oras anattachment to a plow. As it moves along the l5 furrowthe blades 22 cut the surface Weedsrunlners, etc. at each side of the furrow and also `act "to`cut `the furrow bank `and throw the soil toward the `middle of the furrow where it `will bepickd upby the damming blade I5. j

The soil continues to accumulateon the shovel until its weight creates sufficient drag toxovercome the weight of the counterweight I'I. f `This causestheshovel to stopl and the rear extremity thereof is drawn forwardly lifting the counter- 25 weight, as shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the counterweight lifts, the points of the shovel will en- `so that it will not drag the crest of the dam back into the furrow.

Continued elevation forces the counterweight and the counterweight arm against the bottom of i the furrowuntil the shovel is completely turned 4o to its former position of Fig. 2. It will be noted that when the drawbars rise vto form `the dam, 'the blades 22 are also raised so that, at thepoint where the soil is piled to` form the dam, the furrow sides are not cut away and there will be no openings or passages for water.

The centrallnotch 20 in the shovel leaves a loose pileof` soil along the center of the furrow to prevent a hard bottom crust from forming and to retain moisture. Normally the counterweight arm IG ridesalong the top of this center soil pile tohold theshovel in the proper shoveling position. i, i

Should a greater distance be desired between clams,` the counterweght can be `moved toward 56 lill the extremity of the counterweight arm so that a greater accumulation of soil will berequired before the dam is formed and, should the dams be desired closer togethenthe counterweight can, of course, be moved toward the hinge shaft I4.

As will bernoted, the operation of the device requires no attention on the part of the operator. After the weight has been once set, it will form its dams at regular intervals without further attention. i v

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may bevaried, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A furrow damming device comprising: a shovel blade; means for drawing said shovel blade along a furrow; and hinge means for mounting said blade sothat when the weight of `soil thereon reaches a pre-determined amount said blade will rotate on said hinge means to dump said soil.

2. A furrow damming device comprising: a shovel blade; means for drawing said shovel blade along. a furrow; hinge means for mounting said blade so that when the Vweight of soil thereon reaches a predetermined amount said blade will rotate on said hinge means to dump said soil; and a counterweight-carried by said blade to counterbalance the rotating action thereof.

3. A furrow damming device comprising: a frame; means for attaching the forward extremity of saidframe to a traction device; a'hinge member at the rearward extremity of said frame; and a shovel blade hinged to said hinge member and normally extending forwardly therefrom so that as the weight of soil accumulates on said shovel blade the fo-rward vextremity of the latter will be stopped and its rearward extremity will be pulled forward to dump said accumulated soil.

4. A furrow damming device comprising: a frame; means for attaching the forward extremity of said frame to a traction device; a hinge member at the rearward extremity of said frame; a shovel blade hinged to said hinge member and normally extending forwardly therefrom so that as the weight of soil accumulates on said shovel blade the forward extremity of the latter will be stopped and its rearward extremity will be pulled forward to dump said accumulated soil; a counterweight arm mounted on said shovel blade and extending rearwardly from said hinge member; and a counterweight mounted on said arm so that when the weight of soil on said shovel stops its forward motion said counterweight will swing forwardly over said shovel.

5. A furrow damming ldevice comprising: a frame; means for attaching the forward extremity of said frame to a traction device; a hinge member at the rearward extremity of said frame; a shovel blade hinged to said hinge member and normally extending forwardly therefrom so that as the weight of soil accumulates on said shovel blade the forward extremity of the latter will be stopped and its rearward extremity will be pulled forward to dump said accumulated soil; a counterweight arm mounted on said shovel blade and extending rearwardly from said hinge member; a counterweight mounted on said arm so that when the weight of soil on said shovel stops its forward motion said counterweight will swing forwardly over said shovel.

6. A furrow damming device comprising: a pair of draw bars; means for securing the forward extremities of said bars to a traction device, the rearward extremities thereof being separated; a hinge shaft extending between the rearward extremities of said bars; a damming shovel hingedlly mounted on said hinge shaft and normally extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom; a counterweight arm attached to said shovel and extending rearwardly from said hinge shaft and normally in engagement with the bottom of the furrow; and a counterweight on said counterweight arm. l

7. A furrow damming device comprising: a pair of draw bars; means for securing the forward extremities of said bars to a traction device, the rearward extremities thereof being separated; a hinge shaft extending between the rearward extremities of said bars; a damming shovel hingedly mounted on said hinge shaft and normally extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom; a counterweight arm attached to said shovel and extending rearwardly from said hinge shaft and normally in engagement with the bottom of the furrow; and a counterweight on said counterweight arm, the forward edge of said shovel being notched to allow a pile of earth to remain in the bottom of the furrow, said counterweight arm riding along the top of said pile.

8. A furrow damming device comprising: a pair of draw bars; means for securing the forward extremities of said bars to a traction device, the rearward extremities thereof being separated; a hinge shaft extending between the rearward extremities of said bars; a damming shovel hingedly mounted on said hinge shaft and normally extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom; a counterweight arm attached to said shovel and extending rearwardly from said hinge shaft and normally in engagement with the bottom of the furrow; a counterweight on said counterweight arm, the forward edge of said shovel being notched to allow a pile of earth to remain in the bottom of the furrow, said counterweight arm riding along the top of said pile; and ground engaging members extending from the upper face of said shovel adjacent said hinge shaft so that, when said shovel is inverted, said members will engage the bottom of the furrow to support and rotate said shovel.

LOYD S. BROWN` 

